Enhancing Consistency and Controllability in pH-Sensitive Polymer Films: Investigating the Efficacy of Near-Infrared Light Curing in Targeted Drug Delivery Applications

Abstract This study aims to address the issue of inconsistent thickness in pH-sensitive polymer films used for medical applications. We hypothesize that curing films using Near-Infrared (NIR) light would result in consistent and predictable dissolution times. Two main experiments were conducted, one to compare the thickness consistency of films cured with NIR light and ambient conditions, and another to examine the relationship between film thickness and dissolution time. The thickness of films cured under both conditions was measured at three locations, and a statistical analysis was performed. Films of different thicknesses were exposed to a phosphate buffer solution to measure their time to dissolution. NIR-cured films exhibited a 2.5x lower standard deviation in inter-film thickness and comparable dissolution times to thinner air-cured films. Despite some overlap in thickness ranges, dissolution time appeared to be more dependent on initial solution volume rather than actual film thickness. Our results suggest that the use of NIR light in the curing process can significantly improve the consistency and predictability of pH-sensitive polymer films, making them more suitable for targeted drug delivery applications. Further research could focus on optimizing NIR exposure parameters and exploring long-term stability. This study presents a promising avenue for quality control in the in the field of targeted drug delivery, by enhancing the consistency and controllability of pH-sensitive polymer films through NIR technology. Additionally, for the first time, we have refined and documented a complete process for curing the polymer film solutions by using NIR light.